Remembering Veterans - 11-10-2011
My great-grandfather, Captain John W. Ford, serving in the Civil War. Thinking of and thanking all veterans today.
4SQ Day - 04-15-2011
April 16, affectionately known as Foursquare Day. Foursquare parties are happening around the globe, and I thought I'd make Lancaster, PA no different.
Join some fellow Foursquare and Untappd folks at The Taproom starting at 11:00. The Taproom is having an Oyster Festival all day, and it's bound to be a good time. Hope to see you there!
Monday Music Review - Radiohead - 04-04-2011
Artist - RadioheadAlbum - The King of Limbs
The King of Limbs was released in electronic format a few weeks ago, to little fanfare (the CD version is due out this week). I've listened to the 37 minute album a number of times, and I am still not sure what I'm listening to. But, if you are a Radiohead fan, you will probably enjoy this release. Ambient, experimental, but sometimes overreaching, this is Radiohead's newest sonic set. The band continue to reinvent themselves, and provide a variety of new themes, sounds, and ideas.
The opening track, "Bloom", prepares you for yet another new set of sounds and ideas from Thom Yorke & co. It is bass-heavy, as is "Morning Mr. Magpie", with minimalistic guitar licks canvassing over Yorke's croons and digging drum loops.
"Little By Little" is reminiscent of successful tracks of the past (think OK Computer or Kid A). In my mind, it's the best song on the album. "Lotus Flower" is another nifty little track, with a Yorke's falsetto traipsing over a complex drum beat. The piano-driven "Codex" is also a beautiful number, with a rolling melody over an emotional set of lyrics.
But, there are also some disappointments here. "Feral" could have been left of the album altogether. It meanders around in an attempt to be something, but lacks finality. "Give Up The Ghost" is a haunting affair, but is a diversion to some of the better sounds on the album.
Overall, this album is OK background music to normal daily activity, but it's hard to justify listening to on a regular basis. Maybe Radiohead are suffering from their own ambitions, and those looking for their brilliance of yesteryear are meant to keep waiting.
Rating -
Don't Watch That, Watch This - 04-02-2011
Looking for something to watch on the old Netflix? Then heed my advice:
Instead of Watching - Salt, starring Angelina Jolie. Is she good? Is she bad? Do you care? This horrible Bourne Identity knock-off spends half the movie in a chase scene, and the other half in an incoherent conspiracy plot. And only in the movies would Jolie be married to the troll she is married to in this flick.
Watch This - The Town, starring Ben Affleck. Another cops and robbers movie, which is predictable ("come on guys, we need to pull off just one more score"). However, Affleck's cast is terrific, including a powerful and dark baddie portrayed by Jeremy Renner. This is a thriller worth watching.
Instead of Watching - Knight and Day, starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. This pointless action flick will have you yawning before the second act. Cruise is a great (albeit short) action hero, but his one dimensional character in this movie is worth avoiding.
Watch This - Machete. You want 70's, over the top, cheese, then look no further. Packed with stars (Robert DeNiro, Steven Seagal, Don Johnson, Jessica Alba, Cheech Marin, Michelle Rodriguez), this Robert Rodriguez bloodfest takes the fake trailer from Grindhouse and makes it a reality. Danny Trejo is a great action hero, and some of his one liners are worth repeating ("Machete don't text")!
Instead of Watching - Dinner for Schmucks, starring Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd, and Zach Galifianakis. What happens when you get a bunch of high powered comedians in one movie? Well, in recent times, you get garbage. This movie has a few chuckles once the dinner actually happens, but the first 90 minutes are an unlaughable ride to mediocrity.
Watch This - Easy A. Sure, it's a twist on The Scarlet Letter, but don't let the premise fool you: Emma Stone is terrific as a high school teenager who gets notoriety simply becuase people think she's easy. Will she choose fame or self-esteem? Rumors and humor are abound in this fun, well written teen comedy.
Monday Music Review - R.E.M. - 03-28-2011
Artist - R.E.M.
Album - Collapse Into Now
Wow, I had planned on jumping on the R.E.M. review bandwagon two weeks ago, but normal life activities prevailed. What to do? Collapse Into Now was released on March 7th, and made it to #5 on the Billboard charts. It is an album with a lot of variety, from fast and slow paced songs, to rock and folk, to old (mandolin, anyone?) and new sounds. There's a lot of power in the twelve tracks, and the elder statesmen of Alternative music provide a little something for everyone.
Produced by Jacknife Lee (of U2, Weezer, and Snow Patrol fame), the album does not disappoint. The first three singles from the album might be my favorite. "Mine Smell Like Honey", "Überlin", "Oh My Heart" are rich with R.E.M. sound. Each come packed with moving guitar rhythms, familiar Mike Mills backing vocals, and fantastic songwriting. The mandolin is used heavily in "Überlin" and "Oh My Heart", taking a page from familiar tunes of the past. And yes, it works, even in 2011.
"Mine Smell Like Honey" is a great rock and roll track, with a massively triumphant (and catchy) chorus. Reminiscent of "I Believe" from Life's Rich Pageant, it is almost impossible to listen to this track and not continually hum it the rest of the day. Other upbeat rock and roll tracks on the album include "Discover" and "All The Best", with Peter Buck slamming guitar rhythms to match the drum beat. "Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter" is a another catchy upbeat tune sung by Stipe and collaborator Peaches, who adds a terrific and playful angst dimension to the track.
Stipe's moodiness is not lost on the album. On the brilliant "It Happened Today", co-sung with Eddie Vedder, Stipe declares "This is not a parable/This is a terrible/This is a terrible thing". The beautiful, slow tempo "Walk It Back" asks "What, what would you have me say / Instead of what I said?". And some tracks, like the spoken word "Blue", and the reflective "Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I", take a page out of the better, darker parts of Out of Time (think "Country Feedback" and "Half A World Away", not "Shiny Happy People").
In all, Collapse Into Now is an impressive expansion of R.E.M.'s rock and roll heritage. They've defied the rock n roll odds: they've been together for 31 years, they've adapted to the changing rock and roll landscape of our times, and they've rebounded successfully after their last few albums were not commercially or critically successful (with, maybe, an exception in Accelerate). This album proves that they still have gas in the tank. Thank you R.E.M.; you have regained control of alternative rock and roll for us all.
Score -
Summer Movie Anticipation - 03-26-2011
Two new movie trailers, released this week, have me salivating for the summer movie season. If you haven't seen them already, check 'em out:
Captain America - New Full Trailer that provides a lot of easter eggs. Release Date: July 22
Super 8 - This JJ Abrams flick pays homage to Spielberg, and it looks terrific. Release Date: June 10th